Winged whipstock



April 9, 1,940- R. F. BOLTONl i 2,196,517

wINGED wHIPs'rocK Filed Oct. 28. 1937 Patented Apr. 9, 1940 WINGED WHIPSTOCK Ray F. Bolton, Dallas, Tex., asslgnor of one-half to astman Oil Well Survey Corporation of California and one-haii' to Eastman Oil Well Survey Company of Delaware Application October 28, 1937, Serial No. 171,469

11 Claims.

The invention relates to a removable type of whipstock which may be lowered into the wellbore and anchored in position, so as to cause deflection of the drill bit, and thereafter removed from the well bore along with the drill bit.

In directional drilling it is desirable to set the whipstock in the well bore in a predetermined and oriented position so as to direct the well bore in the desired manner. The practice has therefore grown up of inserting the drill bit and the whipstock into the well bore as a unit and orienting the whipstock so that the deilecting face will direct. the drill bit in the desired manner. It is, of course, necessary to anchor the whipstock so that when the drill bit is released therefrom to perform the drilling operation the whipstock may be securely anchored in position. The present invention contemplates a whipstock which will be automatically anchored when pressure is applied to it by the drill stem or drill bit.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a whipstock having winged anchor portions bore to prevent rotation of the whipstock.

Another object of the invention is to provide rib portions upon a whipstock so that as the drill bit is deflected the lateral forces will cause the whipstock to bite into the formation to prevent l rotation thereof.

`Still another'object of the invention is to provide formation engaging members on opposite sides of a whipstock so as to anchor it against the formation.

It is also an object of the inventionl to provide a whipstock having a fluid passage therethrough so that pressure may be applied to assist in releasing the whipstock from its anchored position. Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing wherein: f'

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section taken transversely through the whipstock.

Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the whipstock. Fig. 3 isa front elevation of the whipstock. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections taken on the line 4-4, 5 5, and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 1.

'I'he upper end of the whipstock is of the general type shown in the patent to McVicar, No. 1,970,761, granted August 2l, 1934, and includes a collar 2 which has a passage 3 therethrough to receive the drill stem 4. The drill stem has a drill bit 5 connected thereto. A pin 'i is arranged to pass through the openingl 8 in the collar 2 (Cl. Z55-1') and in this manner the whipstock is fastened to the drill stem so that the assembly may be lowered into the well bore. 'I'his pin prevents relative rotation of the whipstock with respect to the drill stem so that if it is desired to orient the drill stem into position the operator is assured that the whipstock will be flxed in the desired and predetermined direction when this orientation has been completed. Of course, the pin 1 is arranged to shear when a suilicient weight is placed upon the drill stem so that the drill bit may advance to cut away the side of the well bore.

The whipstock I includes a body I I and a defiecting face I2. This body I0 may be of any desired length or configuration and the angle of the deflecting face I4 may be varied for different whipstocks depending upon the angle of deflection which is desired. This body is integrally connected with the collar 2 and may be pointed at I at its lower end so that the tapered faces..

I6 thereon will be forced into the bottom of the well bore.

'I'he parts are assembled ready to be lowered into the well bore in Fig. 1 and when the point I5 engages the formation additional pressure can be applied to the whipstock'by lowering some of the weight of the drill stem 4 on to the whipstock through the connection of the pin 1. Such pressure will tend to urge the whipstock into the formation and, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6, the lower rear portion of the body IIl is provided with a plurality of ribs or wings I8. 'I'hese wings may be of any desired length but are shown as extending a considerable distance. along the backing of the body. These Wings will be forced against the formation at the side of the well bore when pressure is appliedto the drill bit and they will thus bite into the formation to secure the whipstock against rotation.

It should be noted that the rear face I6 is of greater length than the front face I6 so that when pressure is applied to the whipstock there ywill be a tendency for the base thereof to move to the right and as lthe whipstock thus moves downwardly so that the point I5 bites into the formation the ribs I8 will alsobe forcedinto the formation so as to anchor the whipstock.

Additional pressure applied by the drill stem will shear the pin 'I so that the bit 5 may move along the deilecting face I2. When the drill bit engages the side of the well bore to initiate the deecting operation it will, of course, bear vagainst the defiecting face I2 and cause the whipstock to anchor more firmly, forcing the wings l more securely into the formation. Thus the greater the tendency for the drill bit to be forced against the whipstock the greater will be the tendency of the whipstock to anchor itself in the well bore and in this manner an automatic anchoring device has been provided.

The collar 2, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, is also provided with a plurality of wings indicated at 20. Any desired number of these wings may be provided 'and they extend laterally from the collar so that the upper end of the whipstock may also be anchored in the formation. It seems obvious that as the drill stem 4 moves laterally to the right as viewed in Fig.. 1, due to the drill bit moving' along the deecting face I2, the upper end of the whipstock will have a tendency to move to the right. This will force lthe wings 20 into the formation and tend to anchor the whipstock.

When this construction is considered it seems clear that the whipstock as a whole will tend to tilt in the well bore so vas to increase the angle of the deflection imparted to the drill bit by the deiiecting face l2 because there is a tendency of the whipstock to tilt in the well bore.

When the deflecting operation has been performed the drill bit can be raised'into engagement with the collar 2 and further upward movement will lift the whipstock from its position. In some instances the whipstock may be securely anchored in position or it may be desirable that a circulation of fluid or drilling mud in the well bore is necessary. In order to accommodate such a' circulation a fluid passage 25 has been shown as extending downwardly through the bottom of the whipstock and discharging at the port 26 on the lower face I6. A transverse passage 21 may also be'provided so that liquid can be forced through the rear of the-'whipstock into the general area of the back wings I8. A transverse passage is shown also at 29 through one of the rear wings and a similar passage 30 in one of the front wings.

In some instances where diiiiculty is anticipated in lowering the whipstock into the bore, due to bridging or caving, or where it is desired to wash out the well bore, a direct flow of fluid may be directed into the passage 25 by the provision of the pipe 32. This pipe is preferably of a material such as brass or copper, which can be readily bent or sheared, and is shown in Fig. l as having its upper end inserted inside of the drill bit 5 and its lower end projecting into the passage 25. Thus a direct flow of fluid may be discharged from the port 25 while the device is being lowered into the well bore or while the whipstock is being seated. When the drill bit is released and the deiiecting operation performed of course the pipe 32 will be bent or destroyed by the movement of the drill bit after it has served its purpose, This pipe may or may not be provided, as circumstances may require.

What is claimed is:

1. A whipstock comprising a body, a deiiecting face thereon along which the drill bit is movable area51? and winged anchor members at the top and at the base on opposite sides of said body.

2. A whipstock including a body, a deecting face thereon along which the drill bit is movable,

and outstanding ribs on said body to engage the formation to anchor said body, said ribs being disposed on said body on the front at the top and on the back at the base.

3. A whipstock comprising an elongated body, spaced outstanding wing ribs on said body at the back thereof and adjacent the lower end, a deilecting face along which a bit is slidable, a water course through the lower portion of said body, a collar on the top of said body to receive a drill` stem and bit, and additional winged ribs on the 'front of said collar.

4. A whipstock and drill bit combination including a whipstock, a drill bit, water courses through said whipstock and bit, and releasable means connecting said water courses.

5. A removable type whipstock including a body, a bit receiving collar thereon, a deflecting face. and a fluid course from said face through to the base of the body.

6. A removable type whipstock including a body, a bit receiving collar thereon, a deecting face, a fluid course from said face through to the base of the body, and additional uid courses laterally of said body.

7. The combination of a whipstock, a drill stem and bit connected thereto, slush passages through said stem, bit and whipstock, and a .deformable tube connecting the pasage of said bit to the passage of said whipstock.

8. The combination of a whipstock, a drill stem and bit connected thereto, slush passages through said stem, bit and whipstock, and a deformable tube connecting the passage of said bit to the passage of said whipstock, and releasable means holding said stem and bit to said whipstock, said tube being deformed upon such release and upon the operation of said bit.

9. A whipstock, a deiiecting face thereon, a. fluid course leading into the whipstock from said face, a drilling bit connected to the top of said whipstock, and a conduit connecting the fiuid course of the bit to the uid course of said whipstock.

10. A whipstock, a deiiecting face thereon, a fluid course leading into the whipstock from said face, a drilling bit connected to the top of said whipstock, and a conduit connecting the fluid course oi' the bit to the iiuid course of said whipstock so that a circulation of fluid may be maintained through said whipstock as it is being set.

11. -A whipstock, a defiecting face thereon, a uid course leading into the whipstock from said face, a drilling bit connected to the top of said whipstock, and a conduit connecting the fluid course of the bit to the fluid course of said whip- 'stock' so that a circulation of uid may be maintained through said whipstock as it is being set nid said conduit displaced upon advancing said r l1 bit. 

